1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus to manually open and close a shutter-like device for tracheostomy patients to facilitate breathing and more particularly pertains to opening and closing a shutter in front of a tracheostomy opening to render breathing easier for patients.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of devices of various designs and configurations to open and close passage to a tracheostomy opening is known in the prior art. More specifically, devices of various designs and configurations to open and close passage to a tracheostomy opening heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of assisting patients with tracheostomy openings by allowing them to manually open and close access to the opening for breathing purposes are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, the prior art discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,828 to Koss a tracheostomy closure device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,208 to Coe discloses an adjustable tracheostomy valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,484 to Hebeler discloses a tracheostomy device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,058 to Depel discloses tracheostomy valves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,366 to Tabor discloses valve and method for use with a tracheotomy tube.
In this respect, the apparatus to manually open and close a shutter-like device for tracheostomy patients to facilitate breathing according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of opening and closing a shutter in front of a tracheostomy opening to render breathing easier for patients.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for an improved apparatus to manually open and close a shutter-like device for tracheostomy patients to facilitate breathing which can be used for opening and closing a shutter in front of a tracheostomy opening to render breathing easier for patients. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.